NSE unlisted share probe puts spotlight on risky grey market
Mumbai: India’s lightly regulated market for pre-IPO shares is back in focus after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a probe into the alleged sale of unlisted National Stock Exchange shares, a case that is renewing calls for tighter oversight of the fast-growing segment.Last week, ED conducted searches at eight locations in Mumbai and Chennai as part of a money laundering investigation linked to the sale of shares of NSE, which is set to hit the public markets soon. The action targeted entities, including Atum Capital Pvt.
Ltd, Optimus Financial Solutions Pvt. Ltd, Babli Investment Pvt.
Ltd and Supremus Angel, along with their directors.The agency alleged that these entities duped investors by promising unlisted NSE shares they did not possess. The companies then routed investor money through multiple bank accounts and diverted it into movable and immovable assets.The development underscores the opaque and risky nature of the unlisted share market.
It also comes as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) considers bringing the segment under its oversight.Sebi chairman Tuhin Kanta Pandey said last month the regulator plans to introduce oversight for “to-be-listed” companies through exchange mechanisms, with operational guidelines and consultation papers expected soon. Sebi is also in talks with the central government, since the unlisted market currently falls under the ministry of corporate affairs.Atum Capital, however, denied any role in the alleged fraud, saying it was itself a victim.
“Our role in the transaction was as a buyer…based on a seller’s commitment to deliver them. The shares were to be supplied by a third-party entity that ultimately failed to honour its commitment,” Satish Kumar, director
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